Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Field of the Invention
This invention relates to outdoor deck
structures. In particular, thls invention relates to a
prefabricated modular sun deck and a frame therefor.
Backaround of the Invention
An outdoor deck structure, commonly known as a
sun deck, is a popular extension to the living space
offered by residentlal housing and the like. Sun decks
can be virtually any size and shape and are
conventionally constructQd out of weather resistant
lumber, either attached to or detached from the main
structurQ. Myrlad styles and flni~hes are known, but
virtually all ground-supported sun decks are subject to
the limitatlon that they are permanent structures.
This limitatlon arises because of the practlcal
considerations involved in constructing any type of
living space, the main ones being the load that the
structure must bear and the abillty to resist shifting of
the ground underneath the structure. The latter
consideration is particularly important if the deck is to
retain its integrity and a level orientation, since the
ground underneath a structure shifts unevenly and often
substantially from year to year. Conventional
construction techniques utilize concrete piers sunk four
feet or more to stable ground. However, the permanence
of such a structure poses a considerable disadvantage to
those living in some kind of mobile abode, such as a
trailer or mobile home. There is little incentive to
construct a permanent deck where eventual relocation of
the main living space is likely, especially on land owned
by another such as a trailer park.
The present invention overcomes this
disadvantage by providing a prefabricated modular sun
deck mounted on an adjustable frame. The deck is easily
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2 210691a
erected and disassembled into modular sQct~ons capable o
transport, and the frame facilitates levelling of the
deck when erected and periodic relevelling a~ the
supporting ground shifts, without the need for sunken
piers or other permanent supports. The deck frame
according to the invention is designed to facilitate
levelling by a single person, and is also suitable for
use as a supporting frame for a permanent deck.
Summarv of the Invention
The present lnvention thus provides a deck
structure comprising a floor comprising at least one
floor section, having floorboards sQcurQd to orthogonal
~oist~, and a supporting frame including legs supporting
a beam, the beam comprising a pair of opposed boards with
an ad~ustable gap therebetween and the legs having an
upper portion of substantially uniform thickness, and
securing means for adjusting the gap between the opposed
boards extending through the beam ad;acent to at least
one leg, whereby the upper portion of at least one leg
may be slidably engaged between the opposQd boards such
that when the securing means is tightened the leg is
frictionally engaged between the opposed boards so that
the frame is temporarily supported on the leg and the
beam may be moved relative to the leg by sufficient force
to overcome the frictional engagement thereof.
The present invention further provides a frame
for a deck structure comprising supporting legs each
having an upper portion of substantially uniform
thickness, and a supporting beam comprising a pair of
opposed boards connected by securing means with a gap
between the boards sufficient to enable the upper
portions of the legq to be disposed therein, wherein when
a leg is disposed in the gap ad~acent to the securing
means the securing means can be tightened such that the
35 leg is frictionally engaged between the boards and --
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thereby temporarily support~ the framQ, and a he~ght of
the beam relative to the leg can be adjusted by the
application of force sufficient to overcome the
frictional engagement of the leg by the beam.
The present invention further provides a method
of levelling a frame for a deck structure, the structure
comprising supporting legs for supporting a beam
comprising a pair of opposed boards with an ad~ustable
gap therebetween and securing means adjacent to at least
one leg for ad~usting the gap bQtween the opposQd boards,
at least one leg having an upper portion of substantially
uniform thickness, comprising the steps of inserting the
upper portion o said at least one leg into the gap
between the opposed boards ad~acent to the securing
means, tightening the securing means to frictionally
engage the leg between the opposed boards, applying
sufficiant force to the beam or to the leg to overcome
the frictional engagement therebetween until the beam is
engaging the leg at a desired height, and inserting
fastening means through the beam into the leg.
Brief DescriDtion of the Drawinqs
In drawings which illustrate by way of example
only a preferred embodimQnt of the present invention,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the deck
embodying the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partially exploded top plan view
of the deck floor;
Figure 3 is a partially exploded, partially cut
away perspective view of the floor of Figure 2;
: 30 Figure 4 is a perspective view of the supporting
frame;
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Figure 5 i8 a perspective view of a preferred
form of ralling for the deck of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of one corner of
the frame of Figure 4 illustrating the levelling feature;
and
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modification
of the supporting frame.
Detalled Descri~tion of the Invention
A preferred embodiment of the sun deck of the
present inventlon consists of a floor 10 supported on a
supporting frame 20 with a railing 30. Preferred lumber
dimensions are provided, but the invention is not
restricted to any particular size of lumber. Those
skilled in the art will be familiar with the minimum
lumber dimensions required and local building code
re~uirements for the various components of the deck. It
will further be apparent that although the preferred
embodiment is described as composed of wood, the
invention is not so restricted and includes wood
substitutes such as plasti~ and the like~
The floor 10 comprises modular sections 12, in
the example illustrated each constructed from alternating
2x4 and 2x6 floor boards 14 secured to 2x6 joists 16
(illustrated in phantom in Figure 2). To reduce
inventory costs, it may be preferred to construct the
floor sections 12 entirely from 2x6 boards. Alternate
floor boards 14 include a portion 14a extending over any
adjoining edge of a section 12, complimentary to extended
portions 14b of alternate floor boards 14 in the next
section 12 to which the first section will be affixed by
means of a 2x4 joining board 18 secured to the extension
portions 14a,14b of the floor boards 14. Extended ends
are omitted along peripheral side edges, as at 13.
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Ribbon boards 17 are secured to the ends of the
supporting joists 16.
It will be apparent that any number of floor
sections 12 may be joined side-to-side in this fashion,
or front to back so long as a beam 24 as described below
is provided at the front and rear of each floor qection,
as illustrated in Figure 7. The size of the deck floor
10 is limited only by the available space and the size of
the selected supporting frame 20. It will also be
apparent that although the illustrated embodiment shows
alternating 2x4 and 2x6 floor boards, any size of lumber
that is suitably strong can be used for the floor board~
14 and ~oists 16.
The supporting frame 20 comprises 4x4 supporting
legs 22 extending into front and rear beams 24. Each
beam 24 comprises a pair of 2x6 or 2x8 boards 25,26
secured together by floor retaining posts 23 extending
upwardly from the beams 24 as illustrated, which serve to
retain the floor sections 12 on the frame 20. The
retaining posts 23 should extend to just below the
underside of the floorboards 14 for fastening the floor
sections 10 to the retaining posts 23 from above. The
ends of only Gne of the boards 26 of each beam 24 are
secured to ribbon boards 28 of like dimensions. For
reasons described below, one of the boards 25 of each
beam 24 is left unsecured and bolts 27 are located
closely adjacent to each leg 22.
The railing 30 comprises posts 32 and corner
posts 33 supporting top rail sections 34, all constructed
from 2x4 lumber. Preferably each post 32 comprises a
long section 32a to which is affixed a shorter section
32b in the manner illustrated in Figure 5. Corner posts
33 may be produced from a 2x4 33a to which are affixed
short sections of 2x2 33b, 33c, the latter extending to
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the bottom of the post 33 to provide a finished
appearance. The top rail sections 34 comprise a rail
head 34a secured orthogonally to a supporting rail 34b.
Thus, the top rail section 34 ~s secured at each end to
the top of a post 32 with the rail head 34a seated on top
of the long section 32a and the supporting rail 34b
seated on top of the short section 32b, providlng solid
support with no gaps. The bottom of each post 32 i8
secured to the deck floor sQctions 12, with the bottom
end of the short section 32b seated on top of the deck
floor 10 and the bottom end of the long section 32a
extending over a portion of the ribbon 17 or joist 16,
depending on the location of the post 32.
The top rail sectlons 34 are preferably
prefabricated in 4 foot lengths, and the posts 32 are cut
or pre-cut to length for the deslred height of the
railing 30 in compliance with any applicable building
code requirements. Railing sections 30 may be supplied
pre-cut with a top rail section 34 pre-secured to a post
20 32 or corner post 33. A cap 36 may be used to finlsh off
the outside corner gap between top rail sections 34
abutting at a corner post.
To erect the deck of the present invention, an
end of each leg 22 is inserted between the board 25,26 of
the beam, and the bolts 27 are tightened until the legs
are frictionally engaged, but not locked in place,
between the boards 25,26. The ribbon boards 28 are then
secured to the ends of one of the two boards 25,26 of
each beam, so that the frame 20 stands upright in the
desired position. The bottoms of the legs 22 may rest on
the ground, or preferably on a patio stone or the like to
keep ground moisture away from the legs 22.
The frame 20 is then levelled by applying force,
for example using a mallet, to raise or lower the beam 24
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_7_ 210631~
to the appropriate position relative to each leg 22. The
bolts 27 are tight enough to cause the beam 24 to engage
the legs 22, but sufficient force to overcome the
frictional resistance (the amount depending on the
S tightness of the bolts 27) permits some sllppage between
the legs 22 and the beam 24, allowing the height of each
leg 22 to be adjusted as required for levelling. When
the beams 24 are properly levelled, screws or other
preferably removable securing means are driven through
the boards 25,26 into each leg 22. If the bolts 27 are
properly tightened, the frame 20 will support itself
through the levelling process, such that levelling can be
accompllshed by a single per~on. It is possible to
secure one corner leg 22 to the beam 24 and to ad~ust all
other legs 22 to the level of the secured leg, but it is
preferable to have all legs 22 adjustable as described
herein.
This levelling feature is the reason that only
one of the boards 25, 26 of each beam 24 is initially
secured to the ribbon boards 28, so space between the
boards 25, 26 of the beam 24 can be adjusted as required
for levelling. For the same reason, the retaining posts
23 must not be located too close to the supporting posts
22, or the retaining posts 23 could prevent the proper
adjustment to the boards 25, 26 for levelling. Once the
frame 20 has been levelled, struts 29 may be added as
desired for lateral support.
The ribbon boards may at this stage be fastened
to the unfastened board 26 of each beam 24. The floor
sections 12 are then seated on the frame 20, with the
floor retaining posts 23 abutting the inner face of
ribbon boards 17. The floor sections 12 may be secured
to the posts 23 through the ribbon board 17, if
accessible, or through the floor boards 14. The tops of
the legs 22 may protrude from the top of the beam 24 so
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long as the legs 22 do not interfQrQ with the ~eating of
the floor sections 12.
Although in the embodiment illustrated the
retainlng posts 23 are shown immediately adjacent to the
front and rear edges of the floor section 12, it will be
apparent that the floor 10 of the deck can be
cantilevered by reducing the front-to-back dimensions of
the frame 20 and securing a cross-brace betwQen the
~oists 16 set back from the edge of each floor section 12
a corresponding distance, to abut the retaining post 23.
It will also be apparent that the deck floor 10 may in
some cases be secured at the rear to the main dwelling
structure, in which case only one beam 24, located
ad~acent (either immediately adjacent or set back as
described above) to the front of the floor 10, is
required. In the preferred embodiment, however, at least
two beams 24 are used as described above.
Finally, the rail sections 30 are secured to the
floor sectlons 12, or, if not pre-assembled, posts 32 and
corner posts 33 are secured to the floor sections 12 as
described above, and the top rail sections 34 are secured
to the tops of the posts 32, 33. Allowances may be made
in the railing for stairs or other access points by
placing the posts 32 as required and cutting the top rail
sections 34 accordingly. Ballusters (not shown) may be
secured as desired.
The deck may be extended forward indefinitely by
adding beams 24 as reguired, as shown in Figure 7.
Moreover, the deck may be extended on either side by
abutting beams 24 meeting at the centreline of a common
leg 22, as at 40 in Figure 7. In this fashion a modular
sun deck of any dimension may be constructed from the
~ basic components described above.
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It will be apparent that the deck of the present
invention is easily assembled, disassembled and
reassembled as necessary, and being modular in nature 18
easy to transport from one location to another.
Moreover, the deck i8 readily re-levelled from year to
year or as required, by removing any struts, removing the
screws ~oining the beam 24 to the tops of the legs 22,
levelling the frame 20 as described above (care being
taken to prop up the frame 20 if the floor sections 12
have not been removed prior to levelling) and driving the
screws back through the beam 24 into each leg 22 in its
new level position.
The invention having thus been described with
reference to a preferred embodiment only, it will be
obvious to those skilled in the art that certain
adaptations and modifications may be made without
departing from the scope of the invention as set out in
the appended claims.
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